[Harp-L] Shout out to Winslow Yerxa.

[R Lapierre <delta7363@xxxxxxxxx>]

A year and a half ago, on my fiftieth birthday, I received a Delta Blue
harmonica as a gift. And there it was, the beginning of a beautiful
relationship.

The Delta Blue, is a simple and inexpensive tool I needed to appreciate the
sound of the harmonica. From there I needed to learn how to play. Youtube
and Google searches were more confusing than any help. It seems that
everyone has the right method of playing the harmonica. Locally, harmonica
lessons courses, are few and far apart.

I did find a couple of invaluable sites that steered me in the right
direction. The best was Amazon, where I found a book that best describes my
level of instructional needs. Dummies guide to the Harmonica, written by
Winslow Yerxa.

After receiving the book, I immediately started studying and practising as
often as I can. Whiere time was not always available, but the will is.The
book not only shows you how, but why and when. Very technical, very
informative, very captivating. After achieving a certain level of comfort
in my playing, and buying a few other harmonicaâs to the collection. I
quietly put the book down to further expand my craft of harmonica playing.I
bought other books. Song books, for the harmonica, and another lesson book.

The song books are great, fully appreciate the structure of a composition.
And made me go back to Winslowâs book to use it as a reference guide. I now
understand some points that I didnât quite get the first time I read that
subject. And the other lesson book, confirmed what I believed from the
beginning, the Dummies book is brilliant. Well done.

To this day, I canât call myself a good player, but more like a work in
progress, player.

I do enjoy listening to all the other great players, both present and past.
>From all over this world, from Blues to Jazz,to Classical Folk Country
Celtic and more. On Youtube, Online radios, ( no blues radio in Montreal ),
local live shows. Music is music is music.

I also see that Winslow is an avid contributor to this Harp-L community, as
well as sitting in the president's chair at SPAH. Not too shabby!!

Anyway Winslow, if ever youâre in Montreal, Canada. Look me up, Iâde like
to thank you for showing me that respect, fun and proudness are also parts
of learning how to play the harmonica.

Rene Lapierre